Folding lunch-box.



M. A GILMAN. CFOLDING LUNCH BOX. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1915.

Patented July 18, 1916.

I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

era

FOLDING LUNCH-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J lily 18, 1916.

Application filed May 8, 1915. Serial No. 26,895.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MYRON ,A. GILrmN, a citizen of the United States of Amerlca,

residing at WVestfield, in the county of.

Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Folding Lunch- Box, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in lunch-boxes of the folding type, and consists of an exterior collapsible shell and an interior folding box which is removable, both being of peculiar construction, as hereinafter set forth. Theshell is preferably made of fiber-board or equivalent material, and the box which is contained within said shell is preferably made of sheet-metal, for reasons which will presently appear.

- .The primary object of my, invention is to produce'a lunch-box which not only can be folded into a small compass when empty, but is capable of being kept clean and in a sanitary condition, such lunch-box being strong and durable, convenient, and-comparatively inexpensive, and presenting an outward appearance that is more pleasing than would be possible, at leastfwithout-too much expense, if it were constructed entirely out of metal. This lunch-box can be easily and quickly opened out or expanded, and as easily and quickly folded or collapsed.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the'course of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a top plan of a lunch-box which embodies a practical form of my invention, showing the same folded ready'to place in the pocket; Fig. 2, a top plan of said lunch-box in its expanded condition ready to be filled, the cover being thrown back; Fig. 3, a central longitudinal verti' cal section through the lunch-box when in its expanded condition and with said cover closed; Fig. 4:, a central transverse vertical section through the expanded lunch-box, the cover being thrown over back, and, Fig. 5, a bottom plan of the expanded lunch-box with cover closed. In Fig. 3 the ends of the metal box are represented, by dotted lines, in partially folded positions, and in Fig. l the front and back are similarly represented.

Similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

The exterior member or shell of this lunch-box is made of press-boarderother foldable material, and comprises front and back side pieces 1 and 2, respectively, two end pieces 3 which are connected with said side piecesat their epd edges, a bottom'piece 4 which is connected with said side pieces at their bottom edges, and a cover 5 which is connected with the upper edge of said backside piece.

' The bottom piece or bottom 4 is cut out at the ends, preferably in V-shape and as shown at 66, to permit the end pieces or ends 3 to be folded inwardly whenthe shell is collapsed or folded; and said bottom is scored-or creased at 7 between the apexes of suchcut-away places or recesses, and at 8 between the ends of the recesses 6 that are adjacent to the back side piece or back 2;

The distance between the back 2 and the crease 8 is substantially equal to the thickness of the metal box when folded, so that said bottom can be folded up in front of said box, an operation which is rendered easy by the presence of the crease 7. The folded metal box is received on that portion of the bottom 1 that is between the back 2 and thecrease 8, and said bottom folds on'the crease 7 which is halfway between said crease 8 and the front side piece or front 1.

Each end '3 is scored or creased vertically at 9 in the same vertical plane with the bottom crease 8, and'again at 10 in the same vertical plane with bottom crease 7 so that such end can be folded inwardly in front of the folded metal box.

By preference the cover 5 has a front flap 11 and end flaps 1212, and is provided with a handle 25. WVhen the cover 5. is closed the aforesaid flaps may be tucked inside of the front 1 and the ends 3, or some or all of them may be left outside. In the present case there is an eyeleted opening 13 in thefiap 11 for a catch 14 on the front 1 with which said cover is securely'fastened in closed position, wherefore it is necessary that said flap be left outside or brought down over the upper part of said front when the cover 5 is closed and fastened.

The metal box comprises a bottom 15 that is adapted to fit within the shell on the bottom 4, when said shell is in expanded condition, and is provided at the longitudinal edges with upstanding flanges 16 and 17, side pieces 18 and 19, one of which, the former, may be termed the front and the other the back for descriptive purposes, and end pieces or ends 20, said front, back and ends, like said bottom 15, fitting within corresponding parts of said shell when both shell and box are expanded. The ends 20 are hinged at their bottom edges to the ends of the bottom 15, the front 18 is hinged at its bottom edge to the top of the flange 16, and the back 19 is hinged at its bottom edge to the top of the flange 17, interlocking slip roll joints here forming the hinge connections, as shown at 21. The ends 20 are of equal lengths, and they folddown onto the bottom 15, one of said ends overlapping the other, it being immaterial which. The front 18 and back 19 fold down onto the ends 20, after the latter are turned down flat, and in order to enable said front and back to lie flat, one above the other, the flange 17, to which said back is attached, is higher than the flange 16, to which latter said front is attached, and the front must', therefore, be wider than the back, in order that the upper edges of said front and back, when the parts are turned up, shall be on the same level. In folding, the front 18 follows the ends 20 and the back comes last, while in unfolding this order is reversed.

The end edges of the front 18 and back 19 are provided with inwardly-directed stop flanges or lips 22 against which the ends 20 are received when said ends are raised into vertical position. The front 18 and back 19 are provided, just within the lips 22, with vertical beads 23, and these afford supports on the inside for the ends 20. When the ends 20 are opened out the front 18 and back 19 are sprung sufliciently to permit said ends to pass the beads 23 and come to rest against the lips 22, and then said front and back resume their normal. condition and said ends are held in place, in an'upright position, by and between said lips and beads.

The front 18 and back 19 are provided with rings 2 l24= to facilitate opening them.

To expand the lunch-box, when folded as illustrated in the first view, press out the ends 3, thus straightening them and with them the bottom 4, next tip the metal box forward and press it down onto said bottom, and then open said box by raising in succession the back 19, the front 18, and the ends 20. The lunch-box is now fully expanded as shown in the other views, and ready for use. The function of the cover 5 is clearly apparent.

The interior box when expanded fills the interior of the shell when expanded, and retains the latter in that condition.

The lunch-box is collapsed or folded by turning down the ends 20 onto the bottom 15, the front 18 onto said sides and the back 1.9 onto said. front, to fold. the metallic box, then turning said box up against the back 2, reaching up through one of the recesses 6 if necessary to raise said box from said bottom so that the former can be conveniently grasped from above for the purpose of placing it' on edge against said back 2, and so placing it, and finally bending up said bottom on. the creases 7 and 8, and bending in the ends 3 on the creases 10 and 9. Now, when the cover 5 with its flaps is folded tightly against the back 2 outside, the lunchbox is ready to be placed in the pocket, made into a bundle, or otherwise disposed of.

The interior box may be removed whenever desired from the exterior shell and thoroughly washed and scalded with hot water to render it clean, pure, wholesome, and sanitary. The inner box ends 20 serve as spreader-s or separators for the side pieces 18 and 19, since said ends when turned up separate said side pieces and keep them separated. Food placed in the lunch-box is inclosed on all sides except the top by metal.

Although this folding receptacle is primarily a lunch-box and intended to carry lunches in, it is conceivable that it might be used for other purposes.

The lunch-box herein shown and described may be changed more or less in matters of shape, size, arrangement and construction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It is understood, of course, that the upper edges of all of the walls when erect, of both the shell and interior box, are on substantially the same horizontal plane.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A folding box comprising an exterior box consisting in part of ends which have non-folding parts and parts that fold inwardly against one side of said exterior box, and of a bottom which has a non-folding part and parts that fold inwardly against said side, and an interior folding box which when unfolded fills said shell when lexpanded and retains the latter in expanded condition, said non-folding parts of said shell ends and bottom being adapted to receive said interior box, when the latter is folded and turned up edgewise between the sides of said shell when collapsed, with one side of said shell against the folded box on one side, and the folded portions of the ends and bottom of said shell against the folded box on the other side.

2. A folding box comprising an exterior shell consisting of side pieces, folding end pieces, and a folding bottom piece, said bottom piece having a portion adjacent to one edge which does not fold, and an interior box consisting of a bottom provided with folding side and. end pieces, said interior box when folded being adapted to rest on said non-folding portion of said shell bottom and against one side of said shell, and. the latter being adapted to be collapsed against said folded box, and said interior box When expanded being adapted to fit the interior of said shell When expanded and retain the latter in expanded condition.

3. A folding box comprising an exterior shell consisting of side pieces, folding end pieces, and a folding bottom piece recessed at the ends, said bottom piece having a portion adjacent to one edge which does not fold, and an interior box consisting of a bottom provided With folding side and end pieces, said interior box when folded being adapted to rest on said non-folding portion of said shell bottom and against one side of said shell, and the latter being adapted to be collapsed against said folded box, and said interior box when expanded being adapted to fit the interior of said shell When expanded, close the recesses in said shell bottom, and retain said shell in expanded condition.

4. The combination, in a folding box, with an interior folding box, of an exterior collapsible shell for said interior box, said interior box when folded being receivable in a vertical position against one of the sides of said shell, and the latter having in its ends and bottom intermediate folding creases and folding creases adjacent to the inner edges of the ends of said interior box, when the latter is folded and in place in the shell, to enable said ends and bottom to be folded against said folded box and leave a portion of the shell bottom unfolded to serve as a support for the folded box.

5. The combination, in a folding box, with a shell having creased folding ends and a creased folding bottom Which permit the sides of such shell to be brought close together, of an interior box, for said shell and receivable on the shell bottom, such interior box comprising a bottom and two pairs of folding members connected With said bottom and having at their ends engaging means adapted to fasten said members to each other, With the members in one pair between the members in the other pair, to hold apart and brace said shell sides and retain said shell ends in unfolded condition.

MYRON A. GILMAN.

Vitnesses -F. A. CUTTER, A. C. FAIRBANKS Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

